6.1 Phase II Proposals: Introduction

6.1.1 Required Information

The information required for Phase II proposals are:

  • Precise target information: positions accurate to ± 3˝, and V magnitude accurate to ± 0.5 magnitudes. If possible, the (B – V) color should be specified when know. The color is important for archival considerations as well to help the FGS Instrument Scientist determine if the standard calibrations support the needs of the proposal.
  • Configuration and scheduling instructions for each exposure and visit, expressed in the specified proposal syntax.
  • The relationship between the visits: scheduling, relative orientations, etc.
  • Justification for special scheduling or configuration requirements.
(warning)  Important: A clear explanation for:
1) the use of special requirements;
2) the special design of a program; or
3) the calculation of an exposure time, orient angle, or target offset, etc., will help STScI during the review and verification process.
Text can be included in the “Additional Comments” section of the proposal or in the justification for real-time and special requirements. If an action is critical for the successful implementation of an exposure line, a short one-line comment (in the comments syntax) should be placed on individual exposure lines.

 6.1.2 STScI Resources for Phase II Proposal Preparation

  • APT: The Astronomer’s Proposal Tool is the STScI interactive graphical software interface for both Phase I and Phase II proposal preparation. It provides proposal preparation tools and several verification and error-checking phases: proposal syntax, operational feasibility, and schedulability. APT also will offer an option to prepare your Phase II program in a text format whose syntax is similar the previous STScI proposal preparation system, RPS2. Examples of proposals in this syntax are provided in Section 6.5. You are strongly encouraged to make full use of the APT software. It is available on the website at: apt.stsci.edu.
  • Program Status: For proposal status, scheduling (visit level) information, weekly calendars, recent proposal listings, please consult the Hubble Space Telescope Web pages at: http://www.stsci.edu/hst/observing/program-information.
  • Contact Scientist: After HST observing time has been allocated by the TAC, a Contact Scientist may be assigned to the proposal. The objective of the Contact Scientist is to ensure the scientific return of the observing program is maximized.